Ontario to create new offence aimed at vehicle identification number fraud

Ontario's Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria attends Question Period at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto, Nov. 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Ontario is planning to create a new provincial offence for fraudulent vehicle registrations as a way to tackle auto theft.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made the announcement Friday, saying it is aimed at cases of vehicle identification number fraud, in which someone steals a VIN from a car and uses that number to register a stolen vehicle.

"It's these types of activities that, despite seeming like almost victimless crimes, are driving carjackings, late-night robberies and chaos in communities throughout the province," he said.

Proposed legislation would create a new Highway Traffic Act offence of knowingly providing a false vehicle identification number when applying for a vehicle permit.

It would come with penalties of up to $100,000 in fines, up to six months in jail, and driver's licence or vehicle permit suspensions.

The bill would also expand careless driving laws to parking lots in order to help police respond to unsanctioned car rallies and street racing, Sarkaria said.

The announcement comes on the same day that Toronto police announced 59 arrests and 302 charges in an auto theft investigation that involved the use of fraudulent VINs, alleging that some ServiceOntario employees were involved.

Supt. Ron Taverner said the employees are alleged to have knowingly used fake documents provided by suspects to make it look like the VINs were legitimate, and then registered Ontario licence plates to the fraudulent VINs.

No ServiceOntario employees have been arrested, but Taverner said "they will be."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.